How to detect scam emails like "Transfer On Death"
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of email is "Transfer On Death"?
Upon reading this "Transfer On Death" email, we determined that it is spam. This message is a supposed proposal to add the recipient to a deceased client's insurance policy, thus enabling them to take possession of the Transfer On Death (TOD) deed.
In other words, the scheme is to divide between the recipient and sender nonexistent millions of dollars. The likely goals of this scam mail are to trick victims into disclosing private information and/or sending money to scammers.
"Transfer On Death" email scam overview
The scam email with the subject "Need your attention here" (may vary) states that there is an unclaimed life insurance policy held by a deceased client of the sender. If the funds are unclaimed for ten years, they are to be turned over to the "abandoned property division of the state". This policy has been unclaimed for nine years.
Hence, the sender proposes to add the recipient to the policy and have them claim the hundreds of millions USD ($285,030,900). The agreement is that 10% of these funds will be used for charitable purposes, while the remaining 90% will be divided between the sender and the recipient.
It must be stressed that all the information in this email is false, and this mail is not associated with any real individuals or entities.
Typically, scam emails target sensitive information, which victims can disclose directly or by entering it into phishing sites/files. Information of interest can include account log-in credentials (e.g., emails, social networking, money transferring, digital wallets, online banking, etc.), personally identifiable details (e.g., ID card details, passport photos/scans, etc.), and finance-related data (e.g., credit/debit card numbers, etc.).
Additionally, scammers can seek to deceive recipients into transferring their money. Legitimate-sounding reasons like paying taxes or transaction fees can be given to entice victims into sending the funds.
To summarize, by trusting an email like "Transfer On Death" – users can experience severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.
If you have provided your personally identifiable or finance-related data to scammers – contact the appropriate authorities without delay.
| Name | "Transfer On Death" spam email |
| Threat Type | Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud |
| Fake Claim | Recipient is offered a deal in which they will be added to a deceased client's life insurance policy, allowing them to claim 285,030,900 USD. |
| Symptoms | Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the computer. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains. |
| Damage | Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Spam campaigns in general
Spam campaigns are used to promote various scams and spread all kinds of malware. Recipients' interest and trust are gained through false claims, such as lures centering on financial schemes, inheritances, lotteries, business offers, payments, purchases/invoices, account issues, pending messages, expired passwords, sextortion, and so forth.
While the commonly held belief that spam emails are poorly written and riddled with mistakes is not untrue, that is not always the case. This mail can be competently crafted and even convincingly disguised as messages from genuine entities.
"You're Added To A New Group", "Mail Cloud Server", "Mailbox Issue Identified", "Updated Service Terms", "Transfer Money Abroad", "Your Chase Banking Has Been Disabled", "Quote That Meets Our Requirements", "Capital One - Purchase Was Charged To Your Account", "Portfolio Transfer", "Wedding Invitation", "International Lottery & Totalizator Systems", and "DHL - Customs Clearance" are merely some of our latest articles on spam campaigns.
How do spam campaigns infect computers?
Malware is widely distributed via spam campaigns. These deceptive emails/messages have malicious files attached to or linked inside them. Virulent files come in various formats, e.g., documents (PDF, Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, etc.), archives (RAR, ZIP, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), JavaScript, and so forth.
Once an infectious file is executed, run, or otherwise opened – the malware infiltration process is triggered. Some formats require additional interaction to initiate infection processes. For example, Microsoft Office files need users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents require them to click embedded links or files.
How to avoid installation of malware?
We recommend approaching incoming emails, PMs/DMs, SMSes, and other messages with caution. We advise against opening attachments or links found in dubious mail, as they can be harmful or infectious.
However, malware is proliferated using various methods. Therefore, another recommendation is to exercise caution when browsing since the Internet is rife with deceptive and malicious content.
Additionally, all downloads must be performed from official and trustworthy sources. Software must be activated and updated using genuine functions/tools, as illegal product activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates can contain malware.
It is paramount to have a reputable anti-virus installed and kept up-to-date. Security programs must be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.
Text presented in the "Transfer On Death" spam email letter:
Subject: Need your attention here
Need your attention here
My name is Derke David, and I am the principal partner at DEREK LLP Canada, and also in Dubai, I apologize if my letter came to you as a surprise, since there has been no previous correspondence between us. There is an unclaimed “permanent life insurance policy” held by our deceased clients.
The transaction pertains to an unclaimed “transfer on death” (“TOD”) savings monetary deposit in the sum of Two hundred and eighty-five million thirty thousand nine hundred United States Dollars. $285,030,900 The policy holder was one of our clients, the late Michael Farach, who was an Investor and precious stone dealer. He died in an auto crash over nine years ago. Since his death, no one has come forward for the claim, and all our efforts to locate His relatives have proved unsuccessful.
The insurance company code stipulates that “insured permanent policies" not claimed must be turned over to the abandoned property division of the state after 10 years. Therefore, I ask for your consent to be in partnership with me for the claim of this policy benefit, in view of the fact that you share the same last name and nationality as the deceased. If you permit me to add your name to the policy, all proceeds will be processed on your behalf. I wish to point out that I want 10% of this money to be shared among charity organizations, while the remaining 90% will be shared between us.
This is 100% risk-free; I do have all necessary documentation to expedite the process in a highly professional and confidential manner. I will provide all the relevant documents to substantiate your claim as the beneficiary. This claim requires a high level of confidentiality, and it may take up to thirty (30) business days from the date of receipt of your consent. Kindly provide a reachable contact number for faster communication. For more details, please contact me at my email,
Your earliest response to this matter would be highly appreciated.
Regards,
Barrister Derke David
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Quick menu:
- What is "Transfer On Death" spam email?
- Types of malicious emails.
- How to spot a malicious email?
- What to do if you fell for an email scam?
Types of malicious emails:
Phishing Emails
Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.
Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.
After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.
Emails with Malicious Attachments
Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.
In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.
If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.
While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.
Sextortion Emails
This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.
To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.
How to spot a malicious email?
While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:
- Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
- Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
- Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
- Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.
To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
Example of a spam email:
What to do if you fell for an email scam?
- If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
- If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
- If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
- If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
- Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did I receive this email?
Spam emails are not personal, regardless of any relevant information therein. These messages are sent out in mass-scale campaigns – therefore, thousands of users receive identical (or incredibly similar) emails.
I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?
If you have provided your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all possibly exposed accounts and inform their official support. However, if you have disclosed other private data (e.g., ID card details, credit card numbers, etc.) – contact relevant authorities without delay.
I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?
No, merely reading an email is harmless. Devices are infected when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.
I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?
If the opened file was an executable – most likely, yes – the device was infected. However, you might have avoided this if it was a document. These formats require users to perform additional actions, such as enabling macros, clicking embedded content, etc.
Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?
Yes, Combo Cleaner is designed to scan computers and remove all kinds of threats. It can detect and eliminate most of the known malware infections. Note that high-end malicious programs usually hide deep within systems – therefore, running a full system scan is essential.
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